On Oct. 21, 2021, Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza were shot with a gun being held by Alec Baldwin on the New Mexico set of Rust. Hutchins died from the gunshot, and Souza survived. Baldwin has maintained this entire time that he had no idea the gun was loaded, that he was told that the gun was “cold,” and that he doesn’t even believe that he pulled the trigger. While I’ve always believed that Baldwin and several others on Rust were criminally negligent, I never believed that Baldwin had any intention to harm anyone. It was an accident fueled by misinformation, professional incompetence and negligence. Still, back in January (almost three months ago exactly), a New Mexico prosecutor charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter. Now those charges have been dropped.

New Mexico prosecutors are dropping the involuntary manslaughter charges that were filed against Alec Baldwin for the 2021 shooting death of a cinematographer who was killed on the set of the film “Rust” when a gun he was practicing with went off, his lawyers said.

The decision to drop the charges came after a new team of prosecutors took over the case and reviewed new evidence that showed that the gun Mr. Baldwin was practicing with had been modified before it was delivered to the set, according to an official close to the investigation who was granted anonymity to discuss the case. That undercut the prosecution’s original argument that the gun could not have fired unless Mr. Baldwin had pulled the trigger, the official said.

Mr. Baldwin, who was told on the set that day that the gun did not contain any live ammunition, has maintained from the beginning that he did not pull the trigger before the gun fired, telling investigators that it went off after he had pulled the hammer back and let it go. But the original prosecutors had said that an F.B.I. analysis of the gun showed that he must have pulled the trigger, which contributed to their decision to bring charges.

In a statement, Mr. Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said, “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident.”

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, who loaded the gun the day of the shooting and was responsible for weapons on the set of the western, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter in the case. One of her lawyers, Jason Bowles, said that he had been informed of the prosecutors’ decision to dismiss the case against Mr. Baldwin, but that the charges against Ms. Gutierrez-Reed remained.

[From The NY Times]

“The charges against Ms. Gutierrez-Reed remained…” Good. By almost every account and investigation into the Rust set, Gutierrez-Reed was the main person at fault. She was the armorer, she was the one in charge of all of the weapons, she was in charge of making sure no one handed Alec Baldwin a loaded gun with a literal hair-trigger. As I’ve said several times, I am not claiming that Baldwin should not be criminally or civilly liable for anything – he was a producer on Rust, he was one of the people in charge of the production, he has managerial liability in a general sense. But manslaughter was always a stretch.

So, we aren’t getting a Hilaria Baldwin courtroom telenovela, si? We’ll just have to fondly remember her impromptu, Mexican-accented press conference on the street just after her husband was charged. Alec posted this IG shortly after the news came out (Luke is apparently his lawyer):

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A post shared by Alec Baldwin (@alecbaldwininsta)

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, ABC.

You know what I forgot? I forgot that Timothee Chalamet dated Lourdes Leon. I thought his “type” was more like Lily-Rose Depp, but now that I remember that Timmy dated Lourdes, his thing with Kylie Jenner makes more sense. Maybe he doesn’t have a physical type. Maybe he’s ready to be a stepfather to Kylie’s kids, Stormi and Aire. Maybe he’s just a fun hookup for Kylie! I truly have no idea. But it does look like they’re seeing each other casually, and it looks like the Kardashian-Jenner team is dictating the storyline.

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet have been seeing each other on the regular. A Jenner source tells PEOPLE the reality star, 25, and the Oscar nominee, 27, “hang out every week,” but “it’s not serious.”

“She is getting to know him,” the insider continues. “Kylie is having fun. After years of back and forth with Travis [Scott], she just wants to date without any pressure.”

The source claims Jenner and Chalamet met earlier this year at an event in Europe. “They have a lot to chat about,” the Jenner source says, adding that the actor “is fun and charming.”

News broke in early January that Jenner had split from her rapper ex, with whom she shares 5-year-old daughter Stormi and 14-month-old son Aire.

“Everyone wants Kylie to move on,” the Jenner source says. “Everyone in the family is happy and supportive of Kylie dating.”

[From People]

I believe several things concurrently: Kylie is a chronic back-slider who keeps going back to exes and giving them second, third, fourth and fifth chances; I believe Tyga messed her up romantically; I believe that Travis Scott cheated on her a lot; and I believe that even if Kylie is up for fun-times with Timmy, she’ll probably go back to Travis at some point. Still, what a pairing. It would be fun (for gossip) if Timmy and Kylie did get serious and they started doing red carpets together. Come on! People would lose their minds.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

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Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey welcomed their first child, Matilda, on March 30. They were obviously very excited and in the weeks leading up Matilda’s arrival, Kaley mentioned that Tom was the one doing most of the planning and prepping. Now Tom has given an exclusive interview to E! News to gush about Kaley and Matilda and talk about the joys of fatherhood. This is super sweet.

Tom Pelphrey is basking in the glow of fatherhood.

The actor—who next appears in the HBO Max limited series Love & Death, premiering April 27—and his partner Kaley Cuoco welcomed daughter Matilda, the couple’s first, on March 30.

In an exclusive interview with E! News, the Ozark alum opened up about how incredible—and surprising—the experience has been thus far.

“It’s so beautiful,” the 40-year-old said. “I was excited for it and you obviously have some idea of what it might be and how it cool it might be. Nothing compares to the actual feeling. It’s so wild.”

Tom, who started dating Kaley in April 2022, said he’s even managed to find joy in the not-so-pretty moments.

“Even if she’s fussy or you haven’t slept as much,” he continued, “when holding Matilda and she makes those little noises and coos, your heart just melts.”

In fact, being a new dad has turned Tom into a bit of a homebody.

“All I want to do is sit at home with Kaley and the baby and never leave the house,” he expressed. “It’s a miracle. We’re so happy.”

As far as what has shocked Tom most about the process, well, it’s good news on that front, too, as he said, “The biggest surprise for me right off the bat was how comfortable I felt.”

However, the Outer Range star admitted that he wasn’t always so confident.

“The only experience I’ve ever had with infants or newborns in the past: My brother has two beautiful girls,” he said. “I got to be around them and other family members. But I was always one of those guys like, ‘Ooh, I don’t know if I want to hold the baby. I don’t want to break it. That seems too small.’”

But it didn’t take long for Tom to find out that he’s a natural.

“I dove right in and I felt like I immediately understood how to hold her and how to support her little head,” Tom gushed. “I was changing all the diapers in the hospital. Kaley got a kick out of that. It was amazing in a surprising and beautiful and magical way how intuitively I felt like I understood how to take care of this baby and what she needed.”

[From E! News]

It sounds like Tom was nervous at first, but ended up feeling super comfortable, which is really nice! I can definitely relate to feeling like the baby is so small and feeling worried. The time period when they can’t hold their own heads up is a little nerve-wracking. Anyway, they’re still in early stages and completely blissed out with their little girl. They probably have some help from family and/or a baby nurse, but it sounds Tom and Kaley are both super involved and doting on their little girl. Kaley has posted some cute pics of baby Matilda at home and wrapped up in a hoodie towel after a bath with her little tongue sticking out. Matilda really is so cute and they seem so happy.

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Here are photos from an H&M launch event for Thierry Mugler’s new H&M collection. Judging from the photos, the collection includes a lot of sheer-paneled catsuits, beaded tights (??), goth-glam and shirts with built-in gloves. Affordable Kardashian-wear, I suppose. Anyway, Lourdes Leon came out for the event and H&M Mugler hilariously gave her the worst outfit? For a second, I thought we were seeing bush, but no – I think those shadows are just tattoos? The catsuit doesn’t fit her properly (it’s bunching at the crotch) and the paneling work is awful. I don’t know if she’s pissed about her outfit or whether she just has RBF. If H&M did this event to highlight how Mugler’s high-end looks translate well to a more budget-conscious consumer, I’m not sure they’re doing it correctly.

While I think Pam Anderson’s outfit is kind of dumb, she looks great here.

Chloe Sevigny is the only one serving in this collection, I have to say.

Charli XCX looks like a Vintage Kardashian.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Here are some photos of Priyanka Chopra at the London premiere of Citadel this week. She posed with her husband Nick Jonas and her costar Richard Madden. She seemed especially concerned that photographers get a butt shot, which is so funny to me. Anyway, she looked gorgeous – the dress is Vivienne Westwood, the only fashion house which can do a proper corset. Love her dark red lip too. To promote the film, Pri has been giving a lot of interviews, and she recently spoke about dealing with insecure men who can’t handle her success. I think she’s talking about men within the industry, not the man she’s married to.

Actor and global icon Priyanka Chopra said on Tuesday that society needs to raise men who are not insecure about the success of women. She opened up about pay parity in the film industry and revealed that there are some men in her life who are “very insecure about her success.”

“I have some incredible men in my life who are not insecure about my success, but I also have men in my life who are very insecure about my success,” she added. “I think men have enjoyed freedom and the pride of being the breadwinners and the leaders of the family. It is threatening to their territory when a woman does that, or if a woman is more successful, or if a man is staying at home and a woman goes to work.”

The actress talked about the need for change in society at this time and said, “We have to teach our sons that there is no shame in crying, in being able to share with your sister, mother, girlfriend, or wife, and give them the spotlight.”

She discussed her own family and recalled a time when her mother had a higher income than her father. She added that because her parents viewed the earnings as a unit, there was no ego conflict regarding earnings. “My dad did that to my mother… Now when I am walking the red carpet with my husband and he steps aside and gives me centre stage, I feel very proud that I have surrounded myself with people that don’t have such insecurities.”

[From NDTV]

“It is threatening to their territory when a woman does that, or if a woman is more successful, or if a man is staying at home and a woman goes to work” – I loathe this conversation because I feel like people are reinforcing this attitude by talking about it, and I hate that this is still a thing. But it’s definitely still a thing. Buzzfeed recently did a piece on modern women in their 30s and 40s who make more than their husbands and almost across the board, the women feel guilty about it and overcompensate or try to keep it a secret. If he can’t handle your success, walk away. Seriously. It f–king sucks that so many men are like this, not just with their partners but with their female coworkers! Men are just the f–king worst.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

The “Sussex Squad” is a loosely-organized group of people who defend the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, keep and drop receipts on Sussex enemies, promote Harry and Meghan’s work and raise money for charity. Harry and Meghan are well aware of the Sussex Squad and they’ve given special thanks, over the years, to the squad for all of the receipt-keeping and charitable giving. Now the first charity started by Prince Harry is also thanking the squad and the British media is fuming about it!

Prince Harry’s charity, Sentebale, has thanked the Sussexes’ army of social media supporters for helping to raise funds. In the charity’s annual report, the Sussex Squad – a group of online “superfans” who have supported the couple since they left the UK – were acknowledged for their efforts to raise money.

The charity, which was co-founded by the Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006, confirmed that it had received donations through an online fundraising platform under the banner of “Sussex Squad” last year. The internet army that works to support Prince Harry and his wife, as well as tear down those who criticise them, uses Twitter to mobilise support and raise funds for the couple’s various causes. The superfans have been thanked by the charity previously for starting a fundraiser last summer to mark the Duchess’s 41st Birthday.

While acknowledged for raising money for the charity, the Sussex Squad has also been embroiled in controversy in the past for cases of online abuse while defending the couple. In one case, Victoria Arbiter was branded a “Nazi Barbie”, “toxic racist liar” and “Apartheid Vicky” for commentating on Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Ms Arbiter, the daughter of the Queen’s former press secretary, described the onslaught from the Sussex Squad as “relentless”, as they ultimately urged CNN to sack her.

A spokesman for Sentebale told the Telegraph: “Sentebale received donations through an online fundraising platform under the banner of ‘Sussex Squad’ in 2022, which highlighted Sentebale’s work in Lesotho and Botswana. Sentebale operated in the same way we would work with any member(s) of the public wanting to raise funds for our work. Each year, we acknowledge a range of individuals, partners, groups and organisations who have supported our work in a given financial year and this year was no different.”

[From The Telegraph]

“Apartheid Vicky” always makes me laugh, I swear to God. Y’all really got Apartheid Vicky fired from CNN and it was amazing. She deserved it – Vicky wasn’t simply “commentating on Oprah Winfrey’s interview.” Vicky, Ingrid Seward, Dickie Arbiter and Richard Fitzwilliams were all paid to give their negative commentary BEFORE the Oprah interview aired. And it was all a “prank” designed to expose the royal-commentary class as unethical frauds (which they are). The pranksters were not Sussex Squaders, but the squad used that footage to get Apartheid Vicky fired from CNN. There are several other British commentators, spreading palace talking points while appearing on American news shows. I hope you guys are keeping track of them too!

Anyway, it’s cool that Sentebale thanked the squad personally. Sentebale also released a video narrated by Prince Harry:

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A post shared by Sentebale (@sentebale)

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, YouTube.

These people simply cannot decide if the Duchess of Sussex’s absence from the coronation is the best thing or the worst thing to ever happen to the Windsors. Of course, we’re also dealing with a crew of fantasists, liars and idiots, which means that people are just throwing sh-t at the wall to see what sticks. Daniela Elser is one of those fantasist idiots, and Elser believes that Meghan’s “snub” of the coronation is the biggest mistake ever:

“Their decision for Meghan not to go could have serious repercussions, not least when it comes to their Sussex titles. In making the choice to not go and to not show her support for her father-in-law, to not be there for the one of the biggest moments for the monarchy in the better part of a century, she is making her position in regards to the institution pretty damn obvious. Meghan seems to be taking an abundantly crystal clear stance on what sort of relationship she wants to have with her husband’s family, i.e., pretty much none,” expert Daniela Elser wrote in news.com.au.

[From The Mirror]

Again, Harry already offered to give up the Sussex titles and his offer was shrugged off. Again, it would look terrible if Charles made a point of removing the Sussex title, all while leaving Prince Andrew’s York title. Again, the Windsors didn’t even want Meghan there, which they made abundantly clear. Speaking of, other “royal experts” believe that Charles is extending yet another olive branch to the Sussexes by including a photo of them in the Chubbly program.

King Charles’ decision to include a family photograph with Harry, Meghan, William, Kate and their children in the official Buckingham Palace souvenir Coronation programme is an ‘olive branch’ in the direction of California, experts told MailOnline today.

Phil Dampier told MailOnline: ‘Using the picture including Harry and Meghan is yet another olive branch from the King and an attempt to show they are still loved members of the family. We know of course that relations were already starting to strain but it’s a happy picture which conveys harmony and unity. Most of all it reminds us of what might have been and how it’s so sad the way things have unfolded.

‘Harry and Meghan could have been Royal superstars and helped modernise the monarchy and take it forward deep into the century. But now the slimmed down monarchy is struggling with numbers and an awful lot depends on William and Kate. The King will be hoping that Harry’s presence at the Coronation is the start of a healing process but I don’t see the couple of days that Harry will be here as an opportunity for any meaningful peace talks. The King will be too busy and William has no interest in talking to his brother’.

Royal biographer and investigative journalist Tom Bower told MailOnline the choice of picture from 2018 comes from the right place – but it is also a ‘sad’ reminder of the rift between him, William and his youngest son. He said: ‘Charles is desperate to preside over a successful Coronation. He will sacrifice everything to conceal the truth. Publishing the photo reminds us only of a sadly missed opportunity – but Charles is certainly not to blame’.

[From The Daily Mail]

“An awful lot depends on William and Kate…” LOL. Harry and Meghan were royal superstars, which is why William and Kate were so mad, and why they’re still so resentful. So much fear, so much agitation about how badly this continues to play out. It’s yet another reminder that King Charles absolutely needed Harry to come to the coronation – think of how awful it would look if both of Charles’s sons were not there. While the British media would have screamed and blamed the Sussexes, the optics would have always been very straightforward: Charles is a dogsh-t father and he’s too racist to accept his mixed-race relations. THAT is why Charles is making such an “effort” to include Harry. It’s not out of genuine warmth or anything – this is all completely transactional and image-conscious on Charles’s part.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

For months, there’s been a steady drumbeat of aristocratic agita, confusion, heartbreak and salt over the invitations to King Charles’s coronation. It’s honestly one of my favorite things ever, to see all of these titled toffs – earls, dukes, viscounts, lords – lose their g–damn minds about NOT being able to pledge themselves to the new king whilst wearing feathers, velvet and knickerbockers. These toffs are the ones arguing that THEY are the ones people really want to see, and Charles’s “updates” and “modernizations” for the coronation are destroying something very dear to them: their social standing and their visible connection to the crown. If they aren’t important enough to be invited to the Chubbly, then maybe the whole bloody system is a f–king sham? Oh, dear. Well, now an untitled aristo – someone close to the Parker-Bowles clan – has run to the Mail to cry about how Charles is giving in to “drips and dullards” by “watering down” his coronation. Curious.

King Charles is in danger of giving in to ‘drips and dullards’ by ‘watering down’ his Coronation. The warning will set alarm bells ringing at Buckingham Palace because it comes from Ben Goldsmith, whose family have been close to the royals for decades.

‘No amount of watering down will ever be enough for the drips and dullards who really want this kind of thing abolished altogether,’ says the financier, whose sister, film producer Jemima Goldsmith, was one of Princess Diana’s best friends. ‘They represent a small, chippy minority who, for now, can be easily ignored. For the rest of us who enjoy the beauty of these ancient ceremonies, go big or go home.’

Goldsmith is a good friend of Queen Camilla’s nephew Ben Elliot and is so close to the royals that he and his wife, Jemima, a caterer, hosted the wedding party for Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor. His comments follow my disclosure on Saturday that most of the 24 non-royal dukes — the most senior rank in the peerage — had not received invitations to the Coronation. One of those, Goldsmith confirms, is the Duke of Somerset. He had been ‘sprucing up’ the family state coach so he could potentially arrive at Westminster Abbey in ducal splendour. Goldsmith says: ‘Apparently, peers have been told they aren’t allowed to wear their coronation robes at the Coronation next month. Some, including our local one here, the Duke of Somerset, haven’t been invited at all.’

He adds: ‘It’s 70 years since the last one of these. I really hope it won’t end up being a watered-down affair. Britain does these kinds of celebrations so well, and they matter to a huge number of people, not just here but around the world.’

At Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation, the senior peer of each ‘degree’ — the duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron with the oldest titles — ‘paid homage’ to the new monarch. Goldsmith believes it’s a mistake for the King to try to downplay the pageantry. ‘Everything else changes all the time, and so it’s reassuring for there to be some things which don’t change, through generations,’ says the son of late tycoon Sir James Goldsmith and Lady Annabel Goldsmith, the daughter of a marquess. ‘For this reason, every society that has ever existed has had its own unique, often strange and inexplicable rituals and traditions.’

Ben, the brother of Tory minister Lord (Zac) Goldsmith, adds: ‘America, a newer society than ours, has created for itself a whole array of local and national rituals and ceremonies which matter a great deal to the people involved in them. There is an ugly kind of self-hatred in calls for the watering down or eradication of the ones which are unique to our society. Thankfully, it’s only a small, slightly depressing minority, for the time being. Fingers crossed they are completely ignored.’

[From The Daily Mail]

“America, a newer society than ours, has created for itself a whole array of local and national rituals and ceremonies which matter a great deal to the people involved in them.” It’s true – we celebrate inaugurations, we annually celebrate our independence from the British crown, we soberly recognize Memorial Day and Veterans Day with Nissan sales. The difference is, we’re usually celebrating our democracy. We’re celebrating the public servants we voted for. The crown is asking people to not only pay for an excessive party for an unelected king, but *celebrate* the fact that taxpayer money is going to support these lazy elitists. It’s not just drips and dullards complaining, but I love that people like Goldsmith are actually upset that the ceremony isn’t going to be more elitist, more aristocratic, or more expensive.

Photos courtesy of Instar, Cover Images, Backgrid.

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In the past month, the Prince and Princess of Wales have only made one public appearance or event: the church walk on Easter Sunday. No one knows for sure where they were on their month-long holiday, although most people assume they spent the bulk of that time at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. We usually don’t find out about their international travels until much later. In any case, today they ended their vacation and traveled to Birmingham for a day of local events. According to the Mail, they traveled by train. Shocked that they didn’t travel by helicopter! They probably took their helicopter from Norfolk to London, which is where they “caught the train.” Just like us!

Kate is wearing a Karen Millen dress in a muted merlot shade. The dress currently retails (on sale) for £183.20. It’s called the “midi trench dress.” Y’all know who else likes trenches and trench-style dresses? CopyKeen Kate is at it again. That being said, this also feels retro, like she’s trying to reference a look from Princess Diana.

One of their first stops was an Indian restaurant, where they wore aprons and helped out in the kitchen? Unsanitary.

Hope we told this customer to come to the right place…! @indianstreatery pic.twitter.com/0dxzpegLqt

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 20, 2023

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

These are some pics of Chris Evans and Ana de Armas from the premiere of Ghosted. All the articles call it Ghosted but the posters write it ghosted, so I don’t what’s correct. There was a show Ghosted with Adam Scott and Craig Robertson that was kind of cute, but there were some actual ghosts. Chris’ movie, though, refers to the act of not contacting a person with whom you have a relationship again. One day you’re friends or dating/lovers and the next they’ve gone radio silent on you with no explanation. It’s a gut punch because the person who has been ghosted is left to wonder why. According to Chris, he prefers being ghosted to being dumped, because then he can make up why it happened. So instead of closure, Chris prefers a Hollywood blockbuster that he writes in his mind.

Yes, even Chris Evans, the reigning Sexiest Man Alive, has been jilted by a potential paramour, he reveals in the new issue of PEOPLE.

Asked if he’s ever been ghosted, the 41-year-old Marvel Cinematic Universe star is disarmingly honest. “I feel I’ve experienced something much worse,” he says. “I think I’d prefer being ghosted because you can make up any story you want. I’ve had the slow decline in text responses, and you just know the person is pushing you aside casually.”

So how did he cope? “You tell yourself a story, whatever you have to do to get by,” he says.

[From People]

A Gemini says what now? I mean, I love this concept – the idea that I could take every person that took an Irish Goodbye out of my life, every job that passed me over and every negative vibe that came my way and create my own reason for why it happened. But as a tried-and-true Capricorn – oh hell no. If you ghost me in any way, I will track you for the rest of your days for answers. And the only thing worse than me trying to get answer from you is my second-guessing your motivation. Honestly, the rejection will sting, but at least I’ll be able to get on with my life.

But I’m not Chris, who can apparently blithely dip in and out of relationships. It doesn’t surprise me that an attractive white guy would choose to create their own narrative when one isn’t provided. I assume any reason they generate works out in their favor, too. He might want to be careful though, because it works both ways. Remember he ghosted Jana Kramer, and she created her own story about how Chris couldn’t handle a woman’s diet – and then put him on blast on a podcast. Hopefully his current girlfriend Alba Baptista will get a proper breakup if it comes to that. Of course, at the rate they scare each other, their definition of ‘ghosting’ is going to involve cardiac arrest.

Photo credit: Backgrid